“He probably called Marie. She’ll tell him you’re with me,” she said.
“That’ll only make him frantic. He thinks we’re a couple of lambs in the lion’s den.”
“Maybe he’s right,” Beebo said. She had never felt so exhilarated and confused and afraid and eager for God-knew-what in her life.
They hesitated with a common reluctance before the apartment door. “You go first,” Pat said. “You’re the bravest. If he throws anything, so help me, I’m going to run for it.”
Beebo chuckled at him, and then turned the cold brass handle. She opened the door with a quick swing that revealed only the empty living room. They walked in. “Jack?” they said together, and a pile of newspapers on the sofa rolled over and sat up. Jack was very drunk.
“Hello, you two beautiful dolls,” he said. They looked at one another. “Paula was here,” he told Beebo. “We got loaded together. If you don’t want her, I’m going to marry her.”
Beebo picked up Jack’s empty glass and the bottle on the coffee table and poured herself a shot. She gave the Scotch to Pat. “Have some. Jack won’t mind, will you, darling?” She imitated the famous Bogardus inflection.
“Why should I?” he said, eyes on Pat. “Did you run into Venus while you were lunching at 21?”
“We went up to her apartment. She threw a pizza at Pasquini last night.”
“I heard all about it. Marie was celebrating when I dropped in. Well, it must have been a jolly reunion.” He saw the smudge on Pat’s lips. “Looks like the goddess and the gay boy are starting a new trend. You’re solid lipstick from the nose down.”
Pat reproached Beebo instantly. “My God, why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded.
“I wasn’t looking at you. I’m sorry.”
“Where’s yours?” Jack said, turning to her. “Or wasn’t this ladies’ day?”
“I wiped it off,” Beebo said touchingly, and Jack didn’t know whether to believe her or not.
“Something for everyone,” he said. “She must be a Democrat. And what was Patrick doing while you and Venus occupied the loveseat? Taking notes?”
“Watching TV,” Pat said casually. “With Toby. Her son.”
“I hope he was friendly,” Jack said.
“Very,” Pat replied, irritated by Jack’s jealousy.
“I’ll bet. Especially if you curled up in his lap.”
“He’s a nice little kid, Jackson,” Beebo said, surprised at him. Jack was usually so patient and gentle and funny. “He’s just fourteen, very mixed-up and very straight.” Jack’s spite amused her a bit and made her sorry for him. She had never seen him hurt before. He was comical, but the pain showed too and roused her affection for him.
“He’s a baby, and I don’t go for babies,” Pat said. “It’s illicit.”
“Oh, let’s be licit, by all means,” Jack said. “I can see the both of you, sitting there watching Captain Kangaroo together. Just a pair of Babes in Boyland.”
“Honest to God, Mann, you just bug the hell out of me!” Pat exploded in sudden wrath.
“With pleasure. Till you scream for mercy,” Jack snapped.
“Jack, it was your idea that Pat give up his job,” Beebo said. “I took him with me today for fun. It’s better than having him cruise the streets all day. Admit it.”
After a pause, Jack said, “Okay. You’re a pair of worms…but I’m a dirty bird. I’m sorry. Call Paula, she’s frantic.”
Beebo hesitated so long that Jack looked at her and added, “In case you’ve forgotten, the phone’s in the kitchen.”
“I know where it is…. I can’t call her. I don’t know what to say,” Beebo said, and took down another shot like cough medicine.
Jack noticed her unsteady hands and brooding eyes. “Say, ‘Hello, Paula. It’s me, Beebo. I’m home,’” he suggested. While his attention was on Beebo, Pat went over and sat down quietly beside him on the couch. He took care not to touch him.
Beebo folded dejectedly onto the floor. “I’m just not sure how I feel, all of a sudden,” she said, letting her forehead drop into her hand.
“You didn’t fall for Toby, did you?” Jack said, ignoring the tentative hand Pat put on his knee. “This seems to be the night to go straight.”
“Don’t make lousy jokes, Jack.”
“All right, pal. What happened with Venus? Did she really kiss you? Was it that great?” True to form, he pushed his own chagrin aside a while to worry about her.
“She hates everybody but Toby. She can’t even like herself, and Toby’s the only human being she’ll ever love. How can such a lovely woman be so messed up?” Beebo mourned.
“I see she’s messed you up a bit, too. Beebo, was it you who was cheating tonight, and not Pat? Are you falling for Venus? Because if you’re not, you’d go call Paula and laugh this off with her. You wouldn’t care who Venus loved or why.”
“I don’t know. Don’t ask me,” Beebo said, crushed almost to despair by the shame of it—of being a pushover for a professional temptress, and too mesmerized by her even to phone Paula, whose love for her had become a torment to them both.
Pat leaned against Jack cautiously and said, “Toby has seven yo-yos. We watched the Lone Ranger.”
“Okay,” Jack said, smiling into space. “Hey, Beebo. Hey!”
She had rolled over suddenly on her stomach to cry, her face in the scratchy rug. She shook her head to show she heard him but couldn’t stop.
Pat clucked softly at her. “She couldn’t have cared less about that woman till she checked out the boudoir. They were in there an hour. Beebo came out transformed.”
Beebo wept into the stiff wool pile. “I thought I wanted to apologize. But I really wanted…oh, God help me, I’m wild for her. She’s fabulous.”
Jack lighted a cigarette and blew a stream of smoke over Beebo’s back. “Well, that’s two nuts in the family: you and me. We fall in love with the wrong ones as if it were in the by-laws.”
Pat turned to stare at
